Take note. It is very likely that on some occasion you have found yourself needing to copy files between two PCs or laptop. This happens, for example, when you buy a new computer and want to use the data from the old one, be it documents, photographs, videos, images, music or any type of archive.
There are several methods of making transfers, depending on what you need to do and the means you have. For example, it can be done directly between the PCs, such as through an intermediate medium, external devices and even in the cloud. Here are some of the safest options out there.
YOU CAN SEE: What is the small hole located at the top of your smartphone for?
Contents
Copy via wires
It is the simplest and fastest way to transfer files from one PC to another with a direct cable that connects both. There are two ways to do it:
A USB bridge cable
YOU CAN SEE: WhatsApp: so you can activate the messages that self-destruct in a conversation
Cables are offered to connect Windows computers via USB, from Mac to Mac using USB/Thunderbolt ports, or to each other. Windows computers will recognize the connection and a bundled program will need to be installed in order to sync and transfer files. On Mac, with Thunderbolt ports, you connect two computers and transfer folders by dragging them between systems.
A crossed network cable
It is the least known alternative among the public. It consists of using a crossed Ethernet cable that will allow you to create a local area network without the need for a router or modem and share files between computers regardless of their operating system.
YOU CAN SEE: The ‘modern Nokia’: this is the smartphone that can last 5 days on its battery
Use the local area network
All computers included in a local network can see each other once configured. Operating systems have built-in options for setting up home networks between devices, thereby transferring folders and files from within the browser. Works over wired LAN and wireless WLAN networks connected via Wi-Fi.
In addition, there are applications such as those specialized in file transfers (FTP) that allow data to be moved over networks, both Internet and local.
YOU CAN SEE: What is the small hole located at the top of your smartphone for?
external storage
Using external storage media is the most popular way to copy files from one PC to another, especially when dealing with large files. The disadvantage is that you cannot copy files between two PCs directly and we have to use an add-on device between them.
The advantage is that they are cheap and are not only used to transfer data, but also to safeguard them and have backup copies. you can use a external disk, hard drive or SSD, connected to a USB port, to a microSD card, passing through a flash drive that you can carry in your pocket.
YOU CAN SEE: WhatsApp: so you can activate the messages that self-destruct in a conversation
You simply connect the external media to the first PC, copy the data to be transferred onto it, remove the drive and place it on the second PC to transfer the data.
Connection from HDD or SSD
It is recommended when what we are looking for is to replace the storage unit, but we can also use it to move data from one PC to another PC. Here we have several possibilities. One is to remove the storage solution from the old computer and install it on the new one.
YOU CAN SEE: The ‘modern Nokia’: this is the smartphone that can last 5 days on its battery
In those cases it is recommended connect units externally. In fact, it is a natural method to take advantage of old hard drives that are replaced by solid state drives. There are three effective methods:
- Cable. An eSATA cable (external SATA) or an adapter from the SATA to USB interface.
- Dock. More expensive than cable, but versatile and aesthetic to place on a desk is a docking station. They offer several bays and support different interfaces.
- shells. It is simply a matter of removing a few screws because the circuitry is already included inside. It would be used to copy files between two PCs and would later serve to save data and backup copies.
Cloud
YOU CAN SEE: What is the small hole located at the top of your smartphone for?
The clouds provide data storage and it is another very convenient solution to use it as a medium that can be accessed by any PC. It’s as simple as uploading the files to the cloud from your old computer and downloading it to the new one.
The problem arises when the amount of data to move is massive and we are not subscribed to a paid service that offers us so much space, because the free ones are not very generous in capacity for these tasks with large files.